Sheet counter for paper sheet handling machines



March 30, 1954 K. A. WAGNER SHEET COUNTER FOR PAPER SHEET HANDLINGMACHINES Filed April 8, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR flfswn/s r 14.MG/VE Q BY E M9 ATTORNEY March 30, 1954 K. A. WAGNER SHEET COUNTER FORPAPER SHEET HANDLING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 8, 1952INVENTOR" fiwlvsrw 4 lKva/vse,

ATTORNEYS,

Patented Mar. 30, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE SHEET COUNTER FORPAPER SHEET HANDLING MACHINES This invention relates to sheet countersfor paper sheet handling machines, such as printing presses or foldingmachines, and more particularly to an improved rotary counter for afolding machine for marking folded sheets issuing from the machine atintervals of a predetermined number of sheets.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved sheetcounting attachment for a sheet folding machine Which can be easilymounted thereon without material modification of the machine structurefor marking folded sheets issuing from the machine at intervals of apredetermined number of sheets; which rides upon the folded sheets anddoes not damage them in any way; which accurately counts th sheets asthey issue from the folding machine and marks each predeterminednumbered sheet so that the sheets can be easily arranged in piles orstacks with the same number of :sheets in each stack; and which issimple and durable in construction,economical to manufacture, easy toinstall, and effective and efficient in operation.

Other objects and advantages will become ap parent from a considerationof the fol-lowing description and appended claims in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan View of a paper sheet folding machineshowing a sheet counter illustrative of the invention operativelymounted thereon;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the machine andcounter illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional View on the line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure .5 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational View of a sheetcounting element with a portion broken away and shown in cross sectionto better illustrate the construction of the element;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 6-5 of Figure5; and

Figure 7 is a perspective View of a sheet riding roller constituting anoperative component of the assembly.

on the line With continued reference to the drawings, the

illustrated sheet folding machine, generally indicated at Ill, has atits rear or discharge end a substantially horizontal-1y disposed tableII provided with a longitudinally extending opening of rectangular shapewhich an endless conveyor, generally indicated at I2, is mounted forreceiving thereon and moving folded sheets in a direct-ion away from thefolding machine.

The conveyor 12 comprises rollers I3 and. i4

journaled on the table one at each end of the opening in the table andextending transversely across a portion of the width of the table, andan endless belt It of flexible material trained over the rollers andhaving its upper flight disposed in the opening in the tablesubstantially flush with the surface of the table. At least one of therollers is driven from the mechanism of the folding machine so that thebelt is continuously driven in a direction such that its upper flightmoves toward the discharge end of the machine. The belt it receivesfolded paper sheets Iii in partially overlapping relationship, asillustrated in Figure 1, and moves the folded sheets toward thedischarge end of the machine to a stacking table I? disposed at the endof the table I! remote from the discharge end of the machine lil.

Rails [8 and it rise above and extend longitudinally of the table ll oneat each side of the table and a shaft 28 extends transversely across thetable across the conveyor l2 at a level above the table and conveyorbelt and is supported at its ends on the rails 18 and [9.

The shaft 28 is supported at one end in a bearing 2! on the rail l3 andis supported at its other end in a bearing 22 slidably mounted on a rod23 which extends longitudinally of the rail I 9 on a level above therail is and is secured at its ends to the rail it? by brackets, asindicated at 215.

Roller arms, severally designated 25, 26 and 27 are :pivotally mountedeach at one end on the shaft 2% at spaced apart locations along theshaft and extend from the shaft toward the discharge end of the foldingmachine H3, and rollers 28, 29 and 39 are journaled on the arms 25, 26and 2?, respectively, at locations spaced from the shaft 28 to ride onthe upper surfaces of the folded sheets 55 issuing from the machine soas to maintain the stack of partially overlapping sheets in a flatcondition.

An arm 3! is mounted on the shaft 26 by a bearing collar 32 connected tothe arm and surrounding the shaft at a location adjacent to the innerside of the conveyor it and this arm extends substantiallyperpendicularly from the shaft 2c in a direction away from the dischargeend of the machine.

A stub shaft 33 the shaft 26 in a direction away from the discharge endof the machine it and is disposed substantially parallel to the shaft 20and to the table H.

A disc 35 of substantially circular shape is centrally journaled on thestub shaft 33 over the conveyor l2 adjacent to the inner edge of thelatter. This disc 35 is provided around its periphery with a series ofteeth 36 which are all of substantially the same size and are inclinedin the same direction relative to related radii of the disc. There are apredetermined number of the teeth 36 corresponding to the number orfolded sheets which it is desired to assemble in each separate stack ofsheets. The disc is provided with a radially disposed bore 3'! extendinginwardly of the disc from the pointed outer end of one of the teeth 36,an aperture 33 being provided through the disc at the inner end of thebore 37. A marking element 39, such as a soft pencil or crayon lead, isfrictionally mounted in the bore 3'! with its outer end exposed beyondthe outer pointed end of the corresponding tooth 36 and with its innerend disposed within the aperture 32 so that the lead can be adjustedoutwardly of the disc a its outer end is worn down.

The disc teeth 35 are so inclined that as a stack of overlapped foldedsheets 55 issues from the machine and is carried along upon the conveyor12, the forwardly disposed, exposed edge of each sheet engages a tooth35 of the disc and rotates the disc through such an angle that theforward edge of the next succeeding sheet will engage the nextsucceeding tooth of the disc. The disc is thereby rotated by engagementof succeeding teeth by the succeeding edges of sheets of the stackissuing from the machine. Each time a tooth adjacent to the markingelement 39 is engaged by a sheet, a mark is made on the edge of thesheet and the sheets spaced apart at intervals of a predetermined numberof sheets are thus marked as the overlapped sheets issue from themachine.

Washers id and H are mounted on the stub shaft 33 one at each side ofthe disc 35, and a nut 42 is threaded onto the stub shaft at the side ofthe disc 35 remote from the arm 3! and bears against the washer 4B. Alook nut i3 is also threaded onto the shaft and bears against the nut 42so that the nuts 62 and l3 are locked on the stub shaft. Clamp nuts Mand 55 are threaded onto the shaft between the disc 35 and the arm 3| inopposed relationship to each other and a compression spring as surroundsthe stub shaft between the clamp nut .3 and the washer 4|, so that theWasher t8, the disc 35, and the washer M are compressed together. Thisarrangement act as a friction brake for the disc 25, resisting freerotation thereof and insures that the only rotation of the disc is thatimparted to it by the engagement of the edges of the sheets It with theteeth of the disc.

A lever dB is disposed between the clamp nuts 44 and. 45 and has anelongated slot therein receiving the stub shaft 35. A roller 59 isjournaled on one end of the lever 43 and bears on the folds of theoverlapped paper sheets it near the disc 35 to maintain the paper sheetsin a flat condition and prevent the folds thereof from curling upwardlywhen they contact the teeth of the disc 35. The pressure of the roller50 on the paper sheets can be adjusted by moving the lever 48longitudinally thereof relative to the stub shaft 33 and clamping thelever in adjusted position by tightening the clamp nuts 44 and 45 towardeach other.

A rigid arm 5| extend upwardly from the shaft 20 adjacent to the bearingcollar 32, and a contractile coil spring 52 is connected at one end tothe arm 5! at the upper end thereof and is connected at its other end tothe stub shaft 33 at a point adjacent to the arm 3|. The spring 52 actsto prevent excessive pressure of the disc 35 upon the paper sheets 16issuing from the sheet handling machine. The arm 3| may be one of theroller arms 25, 26 and 21 carrying the sheet flattening rollers 28, 29and 30, such arm being merely rotated through an angle of I degrees sothat it extends rearwardly from the shaft 20 instead of forwardly fromthis shaft. In such case, the sheet flattening roller of the arm 3| willbe removed and replaced by a paper guide shoe 53. An aperture providedin this shoe receives the stub shaft 33 instead of the axle of the sheetflat ening roller. A shoe 54 corresponding to the shoe 53 is illustratedin Figure 3 as mounted on the arm 25 carrying the sheet flatteningroller 28.

If desired, an extension 55 may be provided on the arm 3i extending fromthe bearing collar 32 toward the discharge end of the machine l0 and acounter-weight 56 may be mounted on this arm extension for adjustmentlongitudinally of the latter to control the action of the spring 52 onthe disc 35.

With the above described simple attachment sheets issuing from themachine can be marked at intervals of a predetermined number of sheets,as indicated at 55 so that, as the sheets leave the machine they can bearranged in piles or stacks with a predetermined number of sheets ineach pile or stack.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope or the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embracedtherein.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a sheet folding machine having a horizontal table, ahorizontal endless conveyor extending along the table substantially inthe plane of the table, a shaft extending across the table and acrossthe conveyor, means mounting said shaft on the table in upwardly spacedrelation to the table and to said conveyor, means connected to saidconveyor for moving folded sheets on the conveyor toward one end of thetable with the folds of succeeding sheets projecting upwardly from theconveyor, at least one roller arm pivoted on said shaft and having asheet flattening roller at the side of said shaft remote from said oneend of the table, another arm pivoted on said shaft and having a portionpositioned at the side of said shaft adjacent to said one end of thetable, a stubshaft on said portion of said other arm extending parallelto said shaft, a marking disc journalled on said stubshaft, said dischaving circumferentially spaced teeth having edges arranged to beengaged by folds of sheets advanced by the conveyor toward said one endof the table whereby the disc i rotated on said stubshaft with theperiphery of said disc bearing upon the sheets, and a marking penoilmounted on said disc in line with one of the said tooth edges formarking a sheet engaging said one edge.

2. In a marking attachment for a sheet folding machine wherein the sheetare advanced in overlapped relation and with folds of succeeding sheetsprojecting upwardly from the sheets, a shaft adapted to be mountedacross the machine and above the sheets, an arm pivoted on said shaftand extending radially therefrom, a marking disc journalled on said armwith its axis parallel to said shaft, and with its periphery bearingupon sheets on the machine, said disc having peripheral andcircumferentially spaced teeth having edges arranged to be engaged byfolds of succeeding sheets so that advancement of the sheets serves torotate the disc, and a marking pencil on the disc in line with one ofsaid KENNETH A. WAGNER.

References Cited in the file of this patent Number UNITED STATES PATENTSName Date Lee Mar. 28, 1911 Lindbladh Mar. 5, 19 8 Teall Jan. 7, 1919Swick Oct. 26, 1920 Straubel July 21, 1925 Cannon Jan. 19, 1932 RiceNov. 13, 1945

